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DON BRENNAN, QMI Agency

Dec 14, 2011

, Last Updated: 1:01 AM ET

BUFFALO - First Sidney Crosby, then Claude Giroux.

Now Milan Michalek?

What’s with the freakish injuries claiming the NHL’s best players?

Michalek, the first NHLer to reach the 19-goal mark this season, was the latest to go down when he collided into teammate Erik Karlsson during the second period of the Senators’ 3-2 overtime win in Buffalo on Tuesday night.

Michalek did not return after either suffering a right shoulder or head injury.

The Senators would only say it was to do with the “upper body.”

“Right now, he has an upper-body injury and he’ll be re-evaluated back in Ottawa (Wednesday),” said Senators coach Paul MacLean.

This epidemic started when Crosby, the world’s top shinny player, suffered more concussion problems in a collision with teammate Chris Kunitz. Then on Tuesday, it was announced that the league’s top scorer, the Ottawa-raised Giroux, was concussed after running into fellow Flyer Wayne Simmonds.

At this rate, the all-star game in Ottawa next month is going to include some third-liners.

Injuries have plagued Michalek throughout his career, as he missed 16 games in each of his first two seasons with the Senators and he never played a full 82-game schedule in his four seasons with San Jose.

Without their best player for the second half of the game, the Senators earned a comeback victory that snapped a three-game losing streak.

The winner was scored by rookie Jared Cowen, who snuck in front of the net to bang home a pass by Erik Karlsson.

“I was going down there, thinking it was a gamble,” said Cowen, who credited Jason Spezza and Karlsson with their work on the winner. “I wasn’t sure I should be there, but obviously it worked out.”

Karlsson, who was a central figure in the game as he both collided with Michalek and set up the winner, said he hadn’t talked to Michalek after the game, but “I’m sure he’s fine.”

“They had the puck and I read the guy’s pass, I stepped up and (Michalek) was coming full speed on the back check. I was only looking for their guys, not ours. We collided pretty hard there, we were both going forward. I’m fine and I haven’t talked to him so I don’t know what happened with him ... it was just bad luck.”

Playing in just his second game after missing 22 with a shoulder injury, Peter Regin tied the game with an uncharacteristic slap shot almost seven and a half minutes into the third period.

Regin’s second of the season salvaged a big point for Ottawa.

The Senators put plenty of rubber on Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller, as they outshot the Sabres 44-29.

Craig Anderson had a strong game in goal for Ottawa.

Michalek opened the scoring just 69 seconds into the game when he was left with only a Sabres defencemen to beat, firing the puck home after accepting a great Spezza pass with Miller having slid out of position. The lead lasted about 13 minutes — or until the Senators had a bout of self-destruction.

First Karlsson and Nick Foligno bumped into each other, leaving Paul Szczechura with the puck and a 2-on-0 in front of Anderson. He deked the Ottawa goalie then roofed a backhander to tie the game.

Just 1:28 later, Tyler Ennis converted a similar in-alone chance a couple of passes after Senators rookie David Rundblad turned the puck over in his own zone.